I know a guy, a local guy, who has an older (1980s vintage) car that he bought with tinted windows. This guy is pretty poor and makes his living driving a truck. He is in his mid-50s and just trying to get by.

I ran into him the other day and he had a story for me.

A local Hero issued him a $100 ticket that he can’t afford for the heinous god-awful crime of having tinted windows. He was at the local gas n’ go, filling up when the Hero spied the crime and immediately took the necessary action. No friendly (if such a word can be used when describing thinly veiled threats issued by a guy with a gun and legal authority to use it to enforce his edicts) warning to de-tint the car. The Hero just handed this poor local guy who can’t afford it a $100 ticket, just because he can. As a well-paid tax-feeder, $100 is no big stuff – especially when your job is to keep those taxes (which is what we’re dealing with here) in-flowing

The Hero’s car, meanwhile, has heavily tinted windows. Battlefield America: T... John W. Whitehead Best Price: $10.95 Buy New $18.80 (as of 10:15 UTC - Details)

It is also paid for by the same taxpayers, like my friend, who get fleeced to fund their own fleecing.

And they (the Heroes) wonder why they’re hated.

The argument trotted out is, of course, Officer Safety.

It is always about their safety. Never ours.

The Heroes want to be able to easily look into your car  – even when you’ve not given them any legal reason to conduct such a search – and what else is it when a person with legal authority to arrest and cage you is eyeballing the interior of your vehicle?

In ages long gone, it was the obligation of cops to adduce evidence of a crime before accosting anyone – and the legal system was structured such as to make this job difficult. The default was innocent until proved guilty.

Today, the default is proved your innocence or be presumed guilty.

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